How do you stop a force that has an entire world backing it up? Well, this is a question that Martian colonists ask themselves every day. The answer is, lets blow stuff up. If you like the idea of exploding things on an alien planet and in a sandbox environment, then you will love Volition and THQs Red Faction: Guerrilla.

This is the third installment in the series, employing a third-person perspective; unlike the previous two titles, which were first-person shooters. Volition made the switch to third-person because they thought it would make it easier to see the environment as the player destroys it. Destruction is the games main purpose, so in my opinion this is a great and welcome change to the franchise. Red Faction: Guerrilla offers a lengthy campaign, a robust multiplayer, and big enough explosions to satisfy anyones appetite.

Red Faction: Guerrilla takes place in 2125 where the Earth Defense Force (EDF) has forced Martian society into a state of un-free labor. As a consequence of the EDFs oppression of Martian society, the colonists formed the Red Faction Resistance to rebel against the Earth Defense Force, expel them from Mars, and negotiate for a less oppressive regime with Earths leaders.

Players will take control of Alec Mason. He arrives on Mars to reunite with his brother, Daniel. His brother fills him in on the EDF and the Red Faction, but Mason is reluctant to join the resistance until his brother is gunned down by an EDF assault team. Mason swears revenge on the EDF and joins the Red Faction.

Guerrillas gameplay is similar to other sandbox games. The character has the ability to jump, run, use different weapons, and hijack vehicles. In the single-player there are six zones that must be liberated. Within each zone there are different side and story missions that players must complete in order to earn salvage and reduce EDF control. Players will not have access to the entire map right away. First, you must liberate each zone before you can transverse the entire map. In order to free a zone from the EDF, players must drop the control rating in that area. This can be accomplished by completing story missions, destroying propaganda, and by destroying EDF property; all these objectives are marked on the map.

The gameplay is very clever, because none of the side missions or collecting the salvage ever feels forced. For example, while completing a mission to take control from the EDF, players will collect salvage as well as raise the morale of the sector. Better morale will cause other colonists to join you during fire fights against the EDF assault teams. Not only will they make your life easier, but they will net you more salvage after completing your mission. Most of the story-based missions consist of fending off the EDF, rescue attempts, destroying facilities, and escape sequences. Side missions are just as fun and consist of assault sequences where you have to defeat a certain number of EDF troops. There are also destruction missions that have you destroy a structure within a limited amount of time with limited ammunition. You will complete most of the story and side missions until you break the EDFs control on the zone. Once you do this, you will unlock the final mission in that area. Once you complete it, you will unlock the next zone.

Salvage is the games currency. You will use it to purchase weapons, upgrades, and armor. There are many different types of weapons such as rockets, mines, sledgehammers, and later on you will even be able to buy a jet pack; all of which are upgradeable. Destroying structures and objects will also earn you salvage. The single-player is fun, but after the first couple zones, the gameplay will start to feel a little stale and repetitive.